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In Memory

In memory of our friend and colleague Amy Branch

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Female fans normally know more facts about what’s going on than men do anyway. I’d say they’re a more intelligent fan on top of that. They normally know more about what we’ve done than we know about what we’ve done. --- Tony Stewart

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There are female fans who take apart engines and will take you apart if you have a problem with that; who are drawn to the danger and mystery of the sport; who watch races on TV to witness pure passion and unscripted emotion; who love the camaraderie of these family-friendly festivals; who feel the nervous anxiety of the lip-biting wives atop the pit boxes. --- Andrew Giangola “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday”

Sunday, October 17, 2010

After taking part in his charity 5Kahne, Kasey Kahne addressed the media about not finishing the race Saturday night at Charlotte.

Kasey's brakes had failed around Lap 40. His season full of frustration had not helped, either. This is the third brake issue from an RPM car this year, the second in three weeks. When he was involved in a crash later in the race, Kahne took the car into the garage, got out, and never looked back.

"I was just mad," he said. "I came into the race thinking we had a shot to win. We had a good car in practice. It went green, and I was still a little bit tight, but I passed cars and felt really good and then – boom – my brakes are gone."

Indeed, the nine team had a shot at winning this race. They were first in the second practice and fourth in the final practice. Kasey has an average finish of 11.6 at Charlotte - the best out of the non-chasers.

He said it was a joke that he goes to press the brake, it goes all the way to the floor, and doesn't work. I agree. A failure in brakes in a Sprint Cup car should not happen. It is ridiculous to look back and see that Kasey has had this problem three times this year.

Between Roush-Fenway, who also runs Ford Fusions, and Richard Petty Motorsports, Kahne is the only one who has had this problem.

"And that's a good point, but I've never had any issues in my past six years, and if you look at brakes after race, my brake pads are better (less worn) than any one of the other seven or the same as the best ones who don't use much brake. I don't use much brake. So it's just a mess, really."

When Kasey got out of his car after the crash, an unidentified member of Richard Petty Motorsports accused him of not doing his part. Kasey was mad as would be any sane person. Even I as a fan was outraged. How could a person say such a thing to a man that works his hardest day in and day out?

Kasey made a good point saying, "I can't control that as a driver. I'm doing my part; I just need the car. I work as hard as anybody out there."

On top of all that, Kasey was sick, despite anything that anyone said about him using that as an excuse.

Kasey and Kenny Francis, his crew chief, are headed to Red Bull Racing for 2011, before Kahne heads to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. For this team, the end of the season could not come fast enough.

Think good thoughts for the nine team as they finish out their 2010 season. They tried their hardest and just have not had the luck or equipment.

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